Hi, guys! I’ll be travelling to Indonesia soon, but before that, let me take you to Pushkar! Pushkar is a temple town in the state of Rajasthan, India.
What to see and do in Pushkar? Although I didn’t do much there, surprisingly, I enjoyed my 2D1N stay in this small town!
So, when I read the tour itinerary, the most anticipated activity in Pushkar was to be blessed by a local Brahmin on a holy lake. I’m not a Hindu, but I’m more than happy to receive good blessings!
It turned out, there was more than just being blessed by a Brahmin here. Alright, let’s start our journey exploring Pushkar, India!
My Spacious, Comfy, yet Cold Hotel in Pushkar, India
Since I joined a budget group tour when in India, I didn’t stay in fancy hotels. However, the accommodation was decent, and some were very comfortable and beautifully decorated.
When in Pushkar, I stayed in a heritage haveli, Moti Mahal. If you check the price on hotel booking websites, 1 night at Moti Mahal for two people is around RM122 / 29 USD, including breakfast.
The staff were polite and friendly, the room was clean, and the breakfast was ok. There was even a swimming pool and a field so huge, you could play football π
Naah, usually the hotel holds morning yoga for the guests, hehe!
The downside of staying in budget accommodation during winter is… there’s no heater! OMG, I underestimated winter in India. I only brought a thin jacket and some long johns π₯Άπ₯Άπ₯Ά
So, I was trembling at night and in the morning because it was very cold. Luckily, the hot water in my bathroom worked well. But it wasn’t the case for some of my friends π₯²
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It’s Dessert Time! Treat Yourself at Sonu Juice Shop, Pushkar
Ok guys, believe it or not. I was happier at Sonu Juice Shop, Pushkar than when I received a blessing from the Brahmin πππ
After so many days drinking masala tea and eating Indian food, Sonu Juice Shop felt like a fresh breeze. Don’t get me wrong, I love masala tea and Indian food. But having more varieties is good, right?
No, actually, Sonu Juice Shop is a dessert shop – a hidden gem in the Pushkar market! Which juice shop has more than a hundred varieties of fresh juice, milkshakes, and smoothies?
Oh yes, this juice shop has a menu! The drink combinations look so good, it took all of us quite some time to decide what to order.
From chocolate-loaded milkshake with brownie chunks to healthy juices, you name it. Did I tell you this shop also sells high-protein drinks?
CLARA10
You can also add some toppings to make your drink healthier. For example, you can add granola, oats, protein powder, almonds, chia seeds, etc…
But, Clara… ordering a cold drink from a shop in a market, is it safe? PLUS, it’s in India!!
Don’t worry, guys! Sonu Juice Shop only uses mineral water for the drinks. Besides, my friends and I tried the drinks, and we were all good. Nobody got a stomachache!
Some interesting drink combinations here are:
- Brownie Nutella Cookies Milkshake
- Banana Dates Peanuts Coconut Milkshake
- Banana Oreo with Peanut Butter Milkshake
- Vanilla Oreo Chocolate Milkshake with Peanut Butter
- Banana Papaya Dates Coconut Vanilla Oreo Muesli Rose Milkshake
Sonu, the shop owner, seemed to realize that we were ‘struggling’ to decide what to order. So, he gave us some testers β¨β¨β¨
Just a reminder, guys… the drinks at Sonu Juice Shop are nice and filling, especially the healthy and high-protein options. You may feel full for a few hours and have to skip a meal.
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Get a Blessing from a Local Brahmin in Pushkar
Finally, the moment that we’d been waiting for: to be blessed by a local Brahmin near a holy lake! But Anuj, our tour guide, couldn’t be with us during the ceremony because he wasn’t allowed to be there.
Me: “Who will take our videos and photos??” πΏπΏπΏ
Well, I could use a selfie stick with a remote to take some photos. But then it would disturb other visitors… also, it should be a sacred ceremony, right? I should focus!
So, during the ceremony, I quickly took some photos as a memory… and for this blog post, of course π
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Hike to Savitri Temple, Pushkar, for Lookout Point
I visited some temples when I was in India, but Savitri Temple in Pushkar was the most memorable temple for me… because it helped me digest the drink! πππ
The Savitri Temple is dedicated to Savitri, Lord Brahma’s first wife. It’s located on Ratnagiri Hill, with around 970 steps to reach the temple. Yes, it has more steps than Padar Island!
Although it was tiring, I hiked happily because I felt very full after the drink. I could take the cable car, but no, thanks! I gladly took the 970 stairs up + 970 down #burnbabyburn
On the way to the temple, we met some friendly locals. They especially liked to chat with our caucasian friends and asked if they could take photos together.
We stopped a few times to catch our breath before continuing and felt so relieved when we reached the temple. There were many monkeys and we had to take off our shoes before entering the temple.
The view from the lookout point was just ok, nothing spectacular. It felt like another Hindu temple for me… maybe because I’m not a Hindu.
After enjoying the view for some time and taking some photos, we headed back. When we were putting on our shoes, Auke, our Dutch friend, shouted.
Apparently, someone puked on his shoes!!! π±π±π±π€’π€’π€’
The inner soles of his shoes were wet, and there was no tap or water to clean them… To make it worse, he had no choice but to wear them because there were 970 steps down.
Poor Auke! He was in a bad mood for a few days after the tragedy!!
Alright, guys, I don’t know how to end this blog post on a positive note. Please remember that it was a rare tragedy… If you’re worried, maybe you can keep your shoes in a plastic bag.
For me, 2D1N is enough to explore Pushkar. Oh ya, I forgot to tell you that Pushkar is a temple town, hence you’ll only find vegetarian food there.
But don’t worry, there are many vegetarian options and they are nice! For example, you can have paneer curry (cheese curry), garlic butter naan, or basmati rice with vegetable curry πππ
Thank you for reading this blog post. See you again in a few weeks! βοΈβοΈβοΈ
CLARA10
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